PHOENIX —
The Phoenix Suns thought they had put together a formidable team over the summer by adding three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to complete a trio of stars with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
On paper it looked good. The result was zero playoff wins.
The Suns were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday night after falling 122-116 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The four-game sweep was a blow for the team that began the season with championship aspirations.
Now, Phoenix will have to decide whether to scrap the roster or keep it the same.
Booker prefers the second option.
“It’s a difficult league,” said the guard. “At the end of all this, there will only be one winner. But I believe that, over time, experience is the best teacher. “The more time we can spend and feel this pain together, the better the future will be.”
Phoenix general manager James Jones doesn’t have much wiggle room under the league’s salary cap unless major changes are made. Durant, Booker and Beal command big salaries and Grayson Allen just received a four-year, $70 million contract extension.
The biggest doubt revolves around the future of coach Frank Vogel, who in his first year struggled to turn this Suns team into a winner.
Vogel said Sunday that he hopes to be back for a second season after a difficult task building the team. The Suns didn’t have a true point guard, turning to Booker and Beal, but the team struggled all year with turnovers.
“We were just inconsistent with our style of play,” Durant said. “But I think we’ll work on what we need individually and the coaches will make adjustments to show who we can be.”
